


Crucified

by Gabberwocky



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm sorry bb, i'm so mean to my sunshine child, spoilers for episode prompto/chapter 14
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 19:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13530603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabberwocky/pseuds/Gabberwocky
Summary: The thing about crucifixion, or any position that mimics it, is the breathing difficulty that Prompto was now becoming extremely familiar with, strung up as he was in the cell. It was a strain, on his muscles and his wrists, to raise himself up enough to breath normally.AKA: The author knows way too much about crucifixion and doesn't remember how she gained that knowledge.





	Crucified

The thing about crucifixion, or any position that mimics it, is the breathing difficulty that Prompto was now becoming extremely familiar with, strung up as he was in the cell. It was a strain, on his muscles and his wrists, to raise himself up enough to breath normally.

He didn’t even remember how he got here, and therefore had no clue where he was. He’d simply jerked awake with a shuddering gasp as his breath was stolen after falling asleep in what he thought was a haven.

Then Ardyn walked in and everything made sense.

Drawing himself up, both to look less frightened and to draw more air into his lungs, Prompto spoke, “Where am I?”

Ardyn grinned. “Zegnautus Keep, in Gralea.” He bowed. “Welcome to the Niflheim capital.”

Prompto’s struggles increased; he could feel the bruises forming on his wrists. He ignored everything except the need to get out until he felt the cold steel of a dagger on his neck.

He froze, looking down at Ardyn’s smirk.

“Come now, you don’t want to leave before your prince gets here, do you?”

“Screw you.” Prompto spat, glaring.

“That can be arranged.” Ardyn laughed, running a hand down Prompto’s chest. “Though we should leave that to the Prince, yes?”

Again, Prompto glared, curling into himself a little. He was wrapped up in trying to shake Ardyn’s insinuation off that he missed the glint of the dagger until it slashed across his nose, gouging a cut and making breathing even harder as blood dripped into his mouth.

“Have fun, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

And so he hung, blood dripping into his mouth before he spit it out to breath. His shoulders screamed in protest every time he went limp, but his wrists screamed every time he lifted himself up for air.

The fleeting thought that Ardyn taking him down to make good on that ghost of a promise would have been preferable to this entered his mind before he shook it off. He couldn’t think like that; he couldn’t give up. He had to wait for Noctis; he had to hold out for rescue because rescue was coming. He knew it was.

It had to be.

True to his words, Ardyn showed up again a few hours later, smirking a little at Prompto’s limp form.

“Ah, exhausted so soon?”

Prompto growled, drawing himself back up. “Forgive me… if I don’t respond. Breathing’s kinda hard.”

“Of course.” Ardyn nodded. “I understand. I shall do the talking, then.”

Prompto grunted his assent, closing his eyes to try and tune Ardyn out.

“So… something interesting. The Crystal that Noctis has been searching for is here as well. Which do you think he will go after first?”

Prompto shook his head.

“Hmmm… I guess you’re right. He’d probably go after the Crystal first. Especially after the train, right? He pushed you off. He said it was all your fault.” Ardyn stepped forwards, hooking a finger under Prompto’s chin and lifted his face. “Don’t you think he’d just leave you here, MT?”

“He wouldn’t!”

Ardyn’s hand slipped from Prompt’s chin to his neck, slamming the younger’s head against the metal contraption behind him and tightening his fingers. “I thought you weren’t going to talk because you couldn’t breath. I guess I’ll just have to shut you up myself.”

Prompto gasped, trying and failing to draw air into his lungs. His legs kicked as much as they could in their restraints, vision swimming as his brain was deprived of oxygen. Just as his vision started to fade to black, Ardyn let go and stepped back, smirking as Prompto coughed and tried to catch his breath.

“You… bastard.”

Ardyn chuckled as he watched. “You make a pretty picture like that, MT. If his highness doesn’t come for you I might just keep you like this.” He ran a hand through Prompto’s hair. “Pretty and gasping.”

“Shut up!”

“Hmmm… for now.” Ardyn waved as he walked out, cell door slamming closed with a resounding clang.

Prompto breathed.

The next time someone entered, it was Noctis. Prompto grinned for the first time since Altissia.

“Noct! Dude! Help a buddy down?”

He sneered. “Hell no. You’re one of _them._ I can’t trust you.”

“Noct…?”

Noctis gazed up at Prompto with cold steel behind his eyes and Prompto gasped.

“You’re not Noctis.”

The visage melted away, revealing a smirking Ardyn. “Awww, what gave me away?”

“Your eyes. Even mad, Noct’s eyes are never cold. There’s always a fire behind them.”

“You know your prince’s eyes that well?”

“Of course I do.” Prompto paused. “Noctis didn’t push me off the train, did he?”

Ardyn looked shocked. “Of course he did. You saw it with your own eyes.”

“But it wasn’t me. At least, he didn’t see me.” He pulled his head up. “He saw you.”

Prompto’s vision blacked out as Ardyn brought the hilt of his dagger down on his temple.

When Prompto came to again, he could breath. Easily, readily; he took deep breaths while he could, looking at the ceiling of the cell he was in and cataloging his different restraints. The cold steel on his wrists and the slight strain in his shoulders signified that he was still spread eagle. Great.

Another deep breath, and he looked to the side, panicking when he saw the empty Magitech armor on a table next to him.

“No! No no no no no no no no…” he kept repeating that word, gradually growing louder as he pulled at the restraints, trying to escape before he was really turned into one of them. Until he was forced to fight his friends. “I’m not one of them!”

“Not yet, at least.” Ardyn’s voice cut in. “How long, though? How long can you remain here with me before you become an MT?”

“I will never be one of them!”

A hand trailed over the barely visible barcode on his wrist. “Are you sure?”

The mask was forced over his face and once again, Prompto’s breath was forced out of him. This time though, it was psychological; as the walls closed in around him he took shallow breaths, eyes searching in the small eyeholes for a way out. Any way out.

Gasps became shallower and breathing quicker. Prompto was vaguely aware of Ardyn still in the room, shuffling around with something or another, before his vision darkened at the edges from hyperventilation.

“Will you obey now, MT?”

“-to! Prompto!”

He blinked his eyes open, looking down at Noctis.

“Noct…?”

“Yeah, it’s me buddy. You ok?”

Prompto shrugged as well as he could. “Why am I…”

“I know my limits, Prom. I’m sorry but I don’t want to try and catch you from up there and hurt you more. Gladio’s almost here; he and Iggy were right behind me. Then I’ll get you down, ok? I promise.”

“…Ok…” His head bobbed again.

“Hey! Hey, Prom, stay with me, ok? Don’t fall asleep, not yet. We have to wait for Gladio.”

Prompto nodded. “Gladio… he’ll catch me.”

“Right he’ll catch you, Prom. He’ll catch you.”

“Were you worried about me?”

Noctis gasped, nodding. “Of course I was. I’m so sorry, Prompto on the train… it was Ardyn, I saw Ardyn, I swear. None of that was to you. I’m so sorry I didn’t see it”

“It’s… ok… not your fault…”

Noctis nodded. “Ok.” He looked at Prompto again. “Hey Prom, guess what?”

“What?”

“Your hair still looks like a chocobo’s ass.”

“It does not!” Prompto protested, lips curling into a ghost of a smile.

“Noctis! Prompto!”

“In here, Gladio! I need your help getting him down!”

Prompto smiled, head falling against his chest as his vision darkened again, allowing himself to succumb to the exhaustion that had plagued him, safe in the knowledge that his friends were here.

He breathed.

**Author's Note:**

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